Rosario Salazar
'''Rosario Inés Consuelo Yolanda Salazar '''is Karen's personal maid. She is played by actress Shelley Morrison. Originally planned to have only one appearance, her popularity promoted her to a semi-regular character. Biography Throughout the series, Karen mentions varying stories about Rosario's life before she came into her service, including Rosario "boxing donkeys for money" ("Fagmalion Part Four: The Guy Who Loved Me") or that she actually brought Rosario from her parents complete with a receipt ("Homojo"). Karen also says that Rosario was conceived after her father spotted her mother across a crowded swamp and dragged her back to his hut ("Bathroom Humor"). In a flashback to 1985, it is revealed that Rosario met Karen while working as a cigarette lady at a club. Karen invited her as a maid and they have been together ever since ("Lows in the Mid-Eighties"). Rosario mentions being a school teacher ("Whose Mom Is It, Anyway?") three credits short of getting a master's degree in clinical psychology from the University of Texas ("I Second That Emotion", "Flip-Flop: Part Two"). She also attended business school. At some point, she moved to the Bronx where she was a tap dancer with Jennifer Lopez, including in a production of "Tea for Two" at the Shalom Retirement Center ("I Do. Oh, No. You Di-int"). At one point, she was also paid to tape pornographic videos for Tommy Lee ("Someone Old, Someplace New"). One of Rosario's brothers is a political prisoner, and remarks made by Karen suggests she has children, but they are possibly still in El Salvador ("Sex 'N' The City"). Personality Rosario and Karen are very close, but their relationship is love-hate. They are notorious for swapping insults back and forth. Rosario is just as feisty as Karen, and is one of the few people that manages to go toe-to-toe with her. In earlier episodes, they would often yell and argue at each other at the same time. For example: However, many of those fights ended with an emotional embrace or light-hearted exchange between the two, which makes it clear that, deep down, they really do care about each other. Examples of this include the season 3 episode "My Uncle, The Car," where Karen becomes sad at almost losing Rosario in a bet to her rival Beverley Leslie, and the season 7 episode "Partners," where Karen ignores the plight of a very sick Rosario because she is afraid of losing her. Rosario also mentions in season 4's "The Third Wheel Gets The Grace" that, for their 15 year anniversary, all she wanted to do was spend time with Karen. Although she had been mentioned by Karen since the pilot episode, Rosario's first appearance was in the season-one finale, "Object Of My Rejection." Due to Karen's patronizing tone, we're made to think she doesn't speak English well. Rosario actually speaks English fluently albeit with a thick accent, but is an illegal alien. To keep her in the country, Karen has her marry Jack McFarland, her gay friend, to get her green card. The marriage was later terminated at the end of season two, when Rosario asked for a divorce to pursue other romantic interests. However, she maintained a close relationship with Jack after (often echoing hers with Karen) and claimed to still think of him as family. Rosario was one of few people with whom Stan remained in contact after he faked his death (at the end of season five). When Karen learned that Rosario had kept this news from her (in season eight), she fired her. Rosario worked as a bar attendant until Karen ultimately took her back. In the show's series finale, Rosario was shown to have lived with Karen and Jack in the years after the show ended, growing older with them and possibly still working for them despite being in a wheelchair (though she states that she is only in the wheelchair due to a sprained ankle). Trivia * Karen says she "ordered" Rosario in hunter green, but she's faded ("Partners"). * Rosario typically is seen wearing a Members Only jacket on top of her maid's uniform. * She has a particular fondness for Subway sandwiches. * Morrison was a guest star in the first two seasons, but from season three until the show's end she was listed as a main cast member in the episodes she appeared. * According to Karen, Rosario earns $350,000 per year. Category:Characters